Firefighters in the Inland Empire quickly gained the upper hand on two wildfires that broke out Thursday afternoon, one of which, at least briefly, posed a threat to nearby structures, officials said.
Preliminary reports put the Gibbel Fire in Riverside County, which could be seen from AlertCalifornia’s Idyllwild camera, at three to four acres as it burned uphill in medium fuels at a moderate speed, though in an update, officials at Cal Fire said the wildfire had spread to 15 acres by 5:30 p.m. and posed a threat to some nearby structures.
Crews first responded to flames near State Street and Gibbel Road at around 4:40 p.m., with heavy plumes of smoke seen billowing from the hillsides near Hemet.
Cal Fire crews at the scene reportedly requested an additional five engines to assist in the firefight.
Video posted to social media showed firefighting aircraft dropping fire retardant as the blaze climbed the hillsides.
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Fire crews on the scene of a brush fire in Hemet on Jan. 23, 2025. (KTLA) -
The Gibbel Fire seen burning near Hemet on Jan. 23, 2025. AlertCalifornia) -
Fire crews on the scene of a brush fire in Hemet on Jan. 23, 2025. (KTLA) -
The Reche Fire seen burning near Moreno Valley on Jan. 23, 2025. (AlertCalifornia)
Approximately 25 miles northwest in Moreno Valley, firefighters had stopped forward progress on the nearly 3-cre Reche Fire, Watch Duty, a wildfire tracking website, reported.
Flames were burning at a moderate rate of spread in “light, flashy fuels,” prompting requests for law enforcement to shut down Reche Canyon Road at Locust Avenue.
There were no reports structures threatened in the Moreno Valley fire and neither of the incidents appear to have prompted any evacuation orders or warnings so far.
These developing stories will be updated as additional information becomes available.
